Replacing FFG with FFFG?

Jmack1980

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I just purchased a traditional 50 cal side lock rifle which I plan to shoot with patch and ball. Is it ok to use FFFG black power instead of FFG. Just wondering since I already have 3 fg around! Any recommendations would be great.
 
For a .50, 3f is fine although 2f is preferred - more efficient.

As you move up in bore size, given the denser/faster burn you get with 3f vs 2f, it can become more of an issue. But for .50 cal, give 'er. I've run fffg in my .54 it just doesn't seem to perform as well as 2f, in the accuracy department.

We are talking Goex? If you are using subs, then I should say "no idea"

Happy shootin'
 
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I just purchased a traditional 50 cal side lock rifle which I plan to shoot with patch and ball. Is it ok to use FFFG black power instead of FFG. Just wondering since I already have 3 fg around! Any recommendations would be great.
My Lyman BP handbook lists loads using FFG and FFFG plus BP substitute on the 50 cal rifles. Sounds okay to me.
 
In his book "The Black Powder Loading Manual" Sam Fadala tests several .50 cal rifles with both FFg and FFFg.

FFFg produces higher velocities than FFg with the same volume of powder. For instance, in a .50 cal Lyman Great Plains Rifle using a .490 patched round ball, 60 grs of FFg gave 1135 fps while 60 grs of FFFg gave 1692 fps.
 
I chrono'd a .54 cal I used to own using I think 50 grains of 3f and of 2f. I got about 100 fps faster from the 3f with those charges and I think my velocities were in the 12 - 1400 fps range. I almost always shoot 3 F in my various rifles because I get less fouling from it. Where I think that 2F might perform better is in fast twist barrels because I once owned a 42" - 54 cal barrel with a twist of 1:48" The gun was quite fussy about its most accurate powder charge. 55 grains of 3F or 80 grains of 2F. Those gave very different velocities and dispelled my belief that a fast twist barrel had a most accurate velocity. I did not have a chronograph at the time but shot through a series of pieces of 2" fir spaced and inch or two apart. The 50 gr of 3F went through 2 planks and deeply dented the third. The 80 grains of 2F went through 3 planks and deeply dented the fourth. My slow twist barrel shot roughly the same size group regardless of powder charge

cheers mooncoon
 
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